While there are several different ways of learning trading (trading books, trading seminars, online courses, and trading instruction), there is no guarantee that any of the available methods will make the student a successful trader. Sometimes the information or instruction is not very good, and sometimes the student will never be a succesful trader even with the best available instruction. Whatever the reason, there are some alternatives to learning trading, that can make you a profitable trader without any trading instruction at all.
Analysis Services
Professional analysis services are where a professional trader provides market analysis to other traders, and the other traders then make their trading decisions based upon the professional's analysis. Professional analysis services usually consist of daily analysis for a specific market (e.g. a specific stock index, or currency, etc.), and are usually provided at the beginning of the trading day (often before the market is even open).
Professional analysis can be provided in several formats, with the most popular being analysis videos (where the professional speaks while they indicate their analysis on their charts), and analysis newsletters (where a text analysis accompanies graphical charts).
Note that professional analysis differs from market commentary, because professional analysis will include specific trading recommendations (e.g. specific prices at which to make trades) rather than only commenting about the markets in general (e.g. are they moving up or down).
Trading Services
In addition to market analysis, some professional traders offer live trading services, where the professional trader suggests specific trades in real time during the trading day. Live trading services are usually provided for a specific market (or group of markets), and the trading suggestions are provided live (i.e. as the trades occur).
Live trading services are usually provided via instant text messaging or live video (either of the trader or of their charts). Sometimes, the other traders can interact with the professional trader (e.g. to ask questions about the trades), but the primary purpose of live trading services is the trading rather than any type of trading instruction.
The professional trader will usually provide the trade entry, its management (if any), and its exit. The other traders can either follow the trading suggestions exactly as they are provided, or they can use the trading suggestions as a basis for their own trades.
Professional Trading Services (i.e. Money Management)
Professional trading services are also provided by professional traders, but they are designed for investors rather than other traders. Professional trading is where a professional trader trades the investor's money for them, making the same trades that they make with their own money.
Professional trading is similar to managed funds, but there are some significant differences that make professional trading a superior investment to most managed funds. For example, professional trading services will actively trade the investment, instead of holding a portfolio of stocks.
While professional trading services are primarily designed for investors (i.e. non traders), they can also be used by other traders to supplement their own trading (e.g. currency traders might use a professional stock trading service).
How To Use Professional Analysis and Trading Services
Professional analysis and live trading services are designed for other traders, but not necessarily for other professional traders. In other words, the clients should have some trading experience (or at least know the basics of trading), but they do not need to be trading successfully on their own.
Professional trading (i.e. money management) is designed for investors (i.e. non traders), and is most suitable for clients without any trading experience of their own.
As with trading instruction, there are variations in both the type and the quality of professional analysis and trading services. Analysis services can only really be evaluated by using the service, but trading services can be evaluated by reviewing the trading logs and the profit and loss of the service. Potential live trading clients should review a sample trading log and profit and loss (e.g. for a day or a week), and potential professional trading (managed money) clients should review at least one month's trading log and profit and loss (if not more).
